“He’s our most valuable hostage,” Sam replies.
“And he’s still alive.”
“Enough,” Diamond says, and both of them settle into silence. The woman leans against the counter. “Take better care of him, Will.”
“Why?” Will narrows his eyes at his mother. “You have no interest in handing Shakespeare back.”
“No,” Diamond says. “But Lumines is only cooperating because they think he’s alive. So keep him alive until the exchange. He’s not very useful if he’s dead, is he?”
Sam listens in silence, but her heart is beating rapidly. So, they’ve decided to kill Ari instead of giving him back to Lumines.
Will sighs. “They’ll have their doubts the exchange is going to happen at all.”
“Then we’ll have to be convincing, won’t we?” Diamond rises, her face expressionless. She doesn’t look at Sam, and Sam knows with a prickle of unease that it means Diamond is unhappy with her. “But I won’t be talking anyone into anything.” She nods at Will. “That’s your job.”
Will says nothing as his mother walks past him. When she reaches him, she touches his shoulder gently. “Arrange the meeting,” she says, steel inher voice. Will is not her son tonight, but a mere subordinate. “And report to me when it’s set.”
Then she leaves the kitchen without acknowledging Sam at all.
A chill runs through her. Diamond has left her punishment in Will’s hands.
For a long time after Diamond leaves, Will stays silent. He pours two glasses of whisky while Sam waits, then slides one to her while sipping his own carefully, his brows furrowed and his thoughts elsewhere. Sam doesn’t touch her drink.
At last, he straightens and walks around the counter to stand before her, close enough for their legs to touch. Sam keeps her chin up and her stare steady on him, but her heart is racing wildly. His pupils are dilated, and she knows he’s taken sand tonight.
“What’s wrong, Sam?” he says.
She narrows her eyes at him. “I think that goes without saying,” she replies.
“It seems a lot has gone without saying lately.”
She can feel her heartbeat quickening, but holds her ground. “Then let’s talk. What’s on your mind?”
He smiles at her, but the smile doesn’t touch his eyes. “Do you remember the oath that you took?”
“Yes,” she says.
“I’m not convinced you do.” He takes a step closer. “You bleed, we all bleed. Of course, you know what that means, don’t you? If we bleed, then you bleed, too.”
Sam lifts her chin and forces herself to keep her gaze on his. “I went to see Ari in an attempt to get intel for us.”
“Is that the only reason you wanted to see him?”
She stares steadily at him. “What other reason would I have, Will?”
He returns her gaze without blinking. As they face each other, Sam searches his face for the vulnerable boy she’d once seen in a weakly lit bedroom. But he isn’t here tonight. Tonight, he is the heir to Grand Central, the man who ties a blindfold around her eyes. Will steps close enough now that her knees touch either side of his hips. He rests his hands on either side of her stool, then leans close enough to whisper in her ear.
“I saw the way he held you,” he murmurs.
He grips her thigh now, and beneath his fingers, she feels a creeping chill, tingles of pain as he transmutes ice against her skin. She fights back a wince.
“He’s a bioalchemist,” she answers. “It was a part of his trap.”
“As was your response to his touch, I’m sure.”
Ari’s gentle voice echoes in her mind.Sam, you are my heart.
“It didn’t mean anything,” she says.
